Pulling her tear-stained face away from Del, she wiped her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she announced, “I’ve got my memories back.”
The old woman whooped, then grasped the tops of her arms and said, “Tell me everything!”
Sera followed her nanna into the hut where Del prepared a meal of boiled roots, nuts, skyberries and dandelion tea. As the earthy scent of cooking filled the air, she realised just how hungry she was. Fray perched outside the hut and kept watch while he guzzled the blood from the fresh carcass of a rabbit. Sera sat down on a log and recounted everything, from the time when she first joined minds with Arius and his resulting abduction, to the Dragon Council, to the battle between Arius and Desamor. She explained their soulbinding and how they’d been separated during Desamor’s storm. Every now and then Del would interrupt with a question but she mostly sat in silence, chewing her lip.
Sera shared the frightening experience of having a nest of hippogryphs ready to execute her if the queen had demanded it and the guilt she’d felt when Torvold had given up his family to save her. She spoke with venom of the harpy pinning her with magic and taking her to the president who had injected her with something to take her memories away. She then gave a brief overview of what had happened since her return to work. At the end of her narrative, she stared into her cooling tea that she cradled in a cup Del had fashioned from bark.
Thinking out loud, she murmured, “I guess that means that the employer the harpy mentioned is President Kaesus. So he doesn’t want me dead, but he doesn’t want me to remember anything to do with the dragons? Wouldn’t it have been easier to kill me and make it look as if I died on my camping trip?”
Her grandmother fondled the locket at her neck as she stared blankly at the inside of the wall made of branches and bark. “It is rather odd. He’s a strange man.” She glared intently at Sera. “Swear to me, if he crosses your path again, you’ll do your best to steer clear of him.”
“I will,” she promised. “Hey, Nanna, I have a question for you now. When I last saw Idris, he gave me this,” she pulled out the Seeing Stone from her pocket, “and said you helped him create it. How is that possible?”
Del looked meaningfully at Sera, almost as if she hoped she would pick up on an ulterior message, but sighed when her granddaughter only gave her a puzzled look. “That’s not something I can tell you. Many years ago, I made a blood oath that would protect the people I loved. But in doing so, my tongue has been bound. I can’t share the secret. I wish I could tell you why I—” she abruptly cut off and gasped for air as the curse held her tight until she stopped struggling. Rubbing her throat, she said sadly, “I’ve already lost my daughter because of the truth and I couldn’t bear it if I lost you too. The only way you might find out is by guessing it on your own.” She arched her grey brows, inviting Sera to solve the mystery.
She nodded slowly and gathered her thoughts. “The only way I can see that you could have helped Idris make the Seeing Stone is by wielding magic yourself. And the only way you could use magic is if you were a mythic.” Del nodded along enthusiastically. “Or maybe you could have been granted the power by a mythic? I’ve never heard of it happening but…” Her nanna was frowning now, so she backtracked. “Okay, so you’re a mythic. Or you have mythic blood. Which means that…” she trailed off as she stared at Del in wonder. Her heart pounded in her ears as she whispered the next sentence, “I share the same blood as you. It means we both have magic.”
Del clapped her hands together joyfully but didn’t say anything.
“Can you tell me which mythic we are related to?”
Del shook her head and pointed at her throat.
“I understand.” Sera’s mind was racing as she mentally ran through a list of humanoid mythics that could have procreated with a person. There weren’t many options.
Del pulled her into an unexpected hug and whispered, “It’s nice to finally be able to share that with you. I wish I could tell you everything about our lineage. But don’t go digging into our family heritage, at least, not for now. It’s not safe, especially with President Kaesus watching you.”
“That makes sense. I’ll be careful.”
“Good girl.” Del cupped Sera’s chin and pecked her on the cheek, her wrinkled skin brushing against her. “Now, I think it’s time you went home so no one thinks you’ve gone missing again.”
Chapter Nineteen
Sera wove an intricate path on her journey home, leaving false trails, walking through creeks and doubling back in an effort to conceal her nanna’s location. Del had announced she would hide there for the time being. She claimed it wasn’t only Desamor who had been watching her house. She’d purposely left her mobile at the cottage so she couldn’t be tracked by her phone’s signal. Now it was up to Sera not to lead anyone to Del’s temporary home.
There was no sign of Desamor as she hiked back towards Mandar City, so she braved the fields to the south-west of the capital, closer to the cottage, so it wasn’t obvious where she’d actually come from. As she trudged through the stalks of wheat, she took the time to sift through every memory and process her experiences. When she thought of Arius, a warmth thrummed through her chest and her palm itched. Finally, the injuries on her body made sense.
Admittedly, I still don’t fully understand what it means to be Soulbound, but at least now I know that I’m glad to be bound to Arius.
As she walked towards the first lot of outlying buildings that formed the capital city of Mandar, she decided to test her ability to see the auras of nearby creatures. She hadn’t practised her skill since she’d forgotten everything so she realised she couldn’t push too hard or she’d end up fainting, like she had the first time.
Not a good idea to pass out with an angry dragon hunting me and without Arius here to take care of me.
She quietened her mind and extended her thoughts into her surroundings. The golden field lit up around her, resembling stars sparkling in the night sky. It was magical. Tiny balls of light shone from the thousands of insects and small rodents that called the field home. As she approached the city, the slightly larger auras of the birds swooping through the sky captured the smaller lights, winking them out of existence as they ate the insects that braved the open air. When she sensed the auras of the nearby farmer and his wife who grew the crops she was walking through, she withdrew her mind.
Sweat beaded her temple after the effort so she paused her march and ate some of the skyberries her nanna had given her. The rare fruit burst with flavour in her mouth, tart yet sweet, and boosted her energy. The daylight was fading as the sun set over the hills at her back. Shrugging her jacket back on, she shivered as the first touch of cool night air licked her skin. She hoped Arius would keep his promise and visit tonight. Leaving the calm of the fields behind, her feet hastily followed the pavement that led to the inner city skyrises that housed her apartment. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking the serenity she had enjoyed for so long. Checking the screen, she saw it was Hazel. Her brows pulled together. Hazel typically texted, it was unusual for her to call.
“Hey, Hazel, what’s up?” she answered.
“None of the usual remedies are working!” Hazel exclaimed.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your dad! I went to check on him when I finished work and he’s worse. He’s considering going to the infirmary at the MRO, but I don’t think they have the right medicine to help him. I’m so sorry, Sera, I’m doing everything I can and I will keep trying. I’m back at home now, just figuring out a new remedy to test.” She began muttering to herself about herb combinations.
“Shit. Okay. Let me think.” Sera stopped walking as she absorbed the unexpected news. “I’ll go and see him now. And I’ll help get him to the MRO if he decides to go.”
“Just be careful. I haven’t seen any sign of his illness being infectious but it may take a few days to incubate. I feel fine, but I’ve been careful to wash my hands and keep the area sterile when I’ve been
around him.”
“All right, thanks for the heads up. By the way, Hazel, I figured you’d want to know… I’ve got my memories back.”
“What?” Her friend screeched the word so loudly it made Sera drop her phone. She scooped it up in time to hear her ask, “How?”
“I can’t go into it over the phone but everything is great. And Arius is who he says he is. He’s my Soulbound.” Happiness bubbled up inside, even with the new concern of her father’s illness. With her memories returned, she felt like she could handle anything. She felt whole.
“I’m so happy for you, Sera! That’s amazing. I can’t wait to hear about it all. I’ll see how I go with this mixture and either come to visit Allen tonight, or first thing tomorrow. Could you tell me how he’s doing when you get there?”
“Can do. Thanks, Hazel. Talk soon.”
Sera hung up and paused for a moment to get her bearings. She was on the sidewalk near Tregua Park, meaning the quickest way to reach her father’s apartment was to cross the park and head up Barrow Street. She walked quickly across the manicured lawn, not taking the time she usually did to admire the beautiful yellow blooms of the Peace Tree. A three-note whistle sounded from above her, faltering her determined march.
It’s just one of the birds that live in the park, stop being so jumpy.
The distinctive tune sounded again, making the hair stand up on the nape of her neck. She had a disturbing feeling she was being watched. She instinctively sank into her meditative state and cast her mind out, ignoring the bugs that swirled through the night air. A human aura glowed in the boughs of the Peace Tree and she gasped. Spinning away to avoid being attacked from above, she pulled Firinne out, ready to defend herself if necessary.
The leaves above where she’d just been standing rustled and a young boy dropped from the branches, landing catlike on the grass. He looked to be around nine-years-old but it was hard to tell for sure as he was a skinny, wretched looking thing. Her heart broke when she noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the permanently pained expression on his face. His dark hair stuck up at odd angles and his clothing was thin. He studied her with narrowed eyes. She returned her blade to its sheath and held her hands up to show she was unarmed. Something about his face niggled at her; he seemed familiar although she couldn’t think why.
“You’re not a squab, are you?” the boy demanded hostilely as he studied her. “You don’t look like one.”
“A squab? What’s that?”
“A guard. From the IRC?” He looked at her as if she was stupid. “On the street, we call them squabs. As in squabblers.”
“I haven’t heard that nickname before,” said Sera. Squabblers were furry little mythics whose cute appearance betrayed a nasty habit of attacking passersby and draining their blood.
His eyes brightened unexpectedly. “You’re the one they told me to look for,” he said matter-of-factly. He pointed a bony finger at her chest, making her glance down, mystified. The necklace with the carved wooden bird that Helena had given her was now sitting on top of her shirt. It must have fallen out when she leant down to pick up her phone from the ground.
“Oops!” she exclaimed and tucked it back under her shirt hurriedly before asking, “Who are you?”
“I’m Wren.”
“Nice to meet you, Wren. I’m Sera.” She scrutinised his face and realised why she recognised him. “You’re the boy from the market! The one who nearly got crushed by that tauron!”
He blinked at her with wide brown eyes before replying slowly, “You’re the one who saved me.”
“I wish you had let me help more. Here, have these.” She pulled out the rest of the skyberries from her jacket. They wouldn’t last him long but it was better than nothing. He cautiously slunk towards her and snatched the berries before leaping back and stuffing his face.
“So, who do you mean when you said ‘they’ told you to look for me?”
Purple juice dribbled down his chin when he replied, “The Little Birds.” He swallowed before adding, “They want to meet you.”
“How do I find them?”
“Look for the sign.”
“You’re the second person to tell me that. Problem is, I don’t know what the sign looks like!”
“The bird on your necklace. That’s their symbol. It’s drawn above an entry to the sewers over there.” He gestured to a point over her shoulder. “Follow the birds and they will lead you to them.”
“That’s very helpful, thank you, Wren.” He blinked rapidly at her. Something told her he wasn’t used to receiving kind words. She glanced at the time on her PSB and winced. “I have to be somewhere now, but I will find them tomorrow, okay?” He nodded and backed away from her. With one impressive leap he caught hold of a low branch and scampered into the cover of the Peace Tree.
Chapter Twenty
As she exited Tregua Park, Sera texted her father to say she was coming over. As the minutes ticked by without a reply, her apprehension grew. An unexpected sensation of comfort intruded on her fretting, making her wonder whether her Soulbound was nearby. She cast her mind out once more and felt his presence concealed high in the clouds above.
Arius?
Seraphina? The delight that coloured his voice was infectious and she couldn’t help but smile.
My memories have returned. I remember everything!
He roared, words unable to adequately capture his joy.
She interrupted his rejoicing. There will be time for a proper celebration later. I need your help. My father, Allen, is unwell and I’m worried it’s something serious. Do you think you can hold your human form long enough to come to his home with me and see whether there’s something you can do?
Of course, my love. The closer I am to you, the easier it is to locate your soul so it won’t be a problem for me to find you. However, I won’t risk flying into the city, I will land in the forest and meet you at his home.
Good idea. Press the intercom button for apartment number 57 when you get to the front door and I’ll buzz you in.
I do not understand what that means but I’m sure I will figure it out. His warm chuckle eased her anxiety further.
Just find the panel beside the front door. Press the button beside number 57. I will press the button in my dad’s apartment and it will let you in the front door. When you get to the elevator, press the button with the 5 on it. See you soon.
She broke off their mental link and made her way up the steps to the front door of her father’s complex. She still had access since she used to live there, and they’d never bothered to have her access removed as she frequently came over for dinner. Scanning her PSB, she let herself in and headed to the elevator. Tapping her foot impatiently, she watched the numbers tick slowly upward. Finally, the doors opened and she sprinted down the hall to Allen’s apartment. As she reached her hand out to unlock it, she realised the door was slightly ajar. Worrying her lip, she slowly pushed the door open and peeked into the lounge. The lights had been left on and exposed the chaos left behind by what appeared to be a burglary. She bit back a gasp as she entered and automatically unsheathed Firinne.
Stepping carefully over the contents of the emptied kitchen drawers, she called out, “Dad! Are you here?”
There was no answer. She stayed close to the walls as she moved through the apartment in case the thief was still there and waiting to attack. The silence was leaden. Recognising her energy levels were low, she made the conscious decision to sweep the area with her mind to ensure there was no one else there. Dropping back into her meditative state, she sensed there were no other life forms within her father’s apartment. Releasing her power, her strength drained from her body and her face paled as she propped herself against the lounge room wall. She hadn’t used her gift to sense auras and connect with Arius for over a week and the effort of using it multiple times today had fatigued her terribly.
She rummaged frantically in her jacket pocket before remembering she’d given the last of her skyberries
to Wren. She slid down the wall, her face clammy as she lifted trembling hands to her cheeks. Her world continued to spin so she laid her head against the cool floor tiles while she waited for the dizziness to pass. Eventually, her energy grew enough for her to attempt to stand. Using the couch for support, Sera pulled herself into an upright position. Her feet were splayed out like a newborn foal and it took her a few more minutes to regain her balance.
Thank the Gods there wasn’t anyone here. I would’ve been screwed if the intruder had still been here and attacked.
A piercing screech sounded and she winced at the shattered silence. She slowly stumbled over to the intercom, taking care not to step on her father’s belongings that littered the floor, and buzzed Arius into the complex. She couldn’t summon the energy to link her mind to his so she just waited for him to arrive. It didn’t take long before he was striding down the hallway that led to apartment number 57. She smiled weakly and held the front door open, pleased to see him even through her exhaustion. He returned her smile and cupped her face in his hands. Staring deep into her eyes, the joy radiating from his soul was palpable. He kissed her tenderly and leant his forehead against hers, his familiar scent and loving touch immediately soothing her worries. Too soon, he leant away and scrutinised her expression.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his fingertips still tracing her cheek. “Is your father awfully unwell?” Before she could answer, he peered past her and hissed at the chaos. “Gods! Someone has broken into his home? Where is he now? Did they take anything?”
“I’m not sure.” She brushed a tired hand through her hair, realising there were dirt and twigs stuck in her tresses from her mad dash through the forest and tunnel. Surreptitiously, she tried to brush the worst of it out without Arius noticing. He stalked through the lounge and disappeared down the hallway. While he checked the rest of the apartment, Sera pulled her phone out.
A Dragon's Body: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 2) Page 10